No Trouble at London Marathon

LONDON—Six days after finishing the Boston Marathon just before two deadly explosions turned that historic race into a terrorist incident, Rodney Mushanganyisi was back on the starting line here, resolved to get back to business.

London Marathon Pays Tribute to Boston

A London Marathon runner wrote 'Boston' on his head. Chris Jackson/Getty Images

"After finishing Boston, I was more determined to come here and run the London Marathon," said Mr. Mushanganyisi, who lives in London. "I was 200% sure that I was going to do it." In London, the 37-year-old runner clocked the course at 2 hours and 53 minutes, compared with his Boston time of 2 hours and 49 minutes.

The marathon world dusted itself off and got back on the road here Sunday, with a London Marathon that went off smoothly amid fine spring weather, beefed-up security and a strong show of solidarity for the victims of the terror attacks at the Boston Marathon nearly a week earlier.

ENLARGE

Runners observe a half-minute of silence for Boston's victims before the start of the London Marathon.
Reuters

The London race began with a half-minute of silence to remember the three people who died and more than 170 who were injured from the blasts at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Turnout in London matched expectations. Many of the 34,000-plus runners wore black ribbons, while thousands of spectators cheered them on along the 26.2-mile route that passed landmarks including Tower Bridge and Big Ben before finishing at Buckingham Palace.

About 40% more police officers than usual were deployed to ease the fears of runners and spectators. Police said crowds were normal compared with past years.

Many participants said they were wary at first and thought the race might be canceled. But few seriously considered dropping out. The number of people who registered but didn't show up Sunday was only about 400.

The Boston tributes were out in force, similar to the outpouring in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. One woman wore a Boston Red Sox baseball jersey, while another donned a shirt from Johnny Cupcakes, a Boston-based T-shirt company. A placard read: "Boston We B Lovin You Here in London."

For every runner who finished, the London Marathon pledged to donate £2 ($3) to The One Fund Boston, which has been set up to raise money for victims of the U.S. attacks.

John Honerkamp, a 37-year-old product manager for the New York Road Runners, completed the race in a shirt the Road Runners made this week that said "I run for…Boston."

"London was probably the most prepared, coming off the Olympics, so that made me feel a lot better," he said. "I was not once fazed or nervous."

Steven Rees, a 43-year-old Australian tourist who stood near Buckingham Palace, said he was hesitant to come until he heard that the alleged Boston bombers were what he described as an "isolated" duo and probably not part of an international conspiracy.

"When I heard that result yesterday I thought, right, I'll come out," he said.

The men's race was won by Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede with an unofficial time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 4 seconds. Kenya's Priscah Jeptoo, who took home a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, was the top female finisher.

Prince Harry handed out the medals Sunday.

At Tower Hill, fans gathered from 8 a.m., an hour before the first start, to claim spots near the 13th and 23rd mile markers and catch a glimpse of Mo Farah, who became an English sporting hero at the 2012 Olympics by winning the 5,000 and 10,000 meters races. Mr. Farah, who is building up to the marathon distance, ran only the first half of the race, finishing in less than an hour.

Like many spectators Sunday morning, Jane Taylor, 29, said she initially felt nervous about joining the crowds on the streets of London.

But once it seemed clear to her that there were "no international links" and that security would be ramped up, she said, nothing was going to keep her from seeing Mr. Farah in person for the first time.

"It's the British spirit," she added, wearing her Team GB Olympics gear. "We don't back down."

Many crossed the finish line with their hands over their hearts, in response to a Twitter-initiated campaign to pay tribute to the Boston race. Tom Farsides, 50, wearing his singlet from the 2009 Boston Marathon, was one such runner. Mr. Farsides has run Boston twice and speaks to his friends at a Boston running group nearly every day. He said he only broke stride once during the London marathon—to applaud the band at Mile 10. They were playing Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," a staple at Boston Red Sox games.

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